BILL REQ. #:  H-4376.3 

READ FIRST TIME 01/25/10.   

     AN ACT Relating to creating the opportunity express program; amending RCW 28C.04.390; adding new sections to chapter 28B.50 RCW; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that in times of severe economic recession, the state has a special obligation to help unemployed and low-income citizens access the training and education necessary to help them find and keep living wage jobs. The legislature also finds that during times of recession, when state revenues are at their lowest, demand for education and training are at their highest, making it especially important for the legislature to set clear goals and make the most efficient use of limited state resources.
     The legislature therefore intends to expand training and education programs, which have proven to be successful, to ensure that Washington citizens can get the training they need. These programs include the worker retraining program, the opportunity grant program, and the opportunity internship program. The legislature further intends to create more effective intake and outreach systems to reach the greatest number of citizens and connect them to the resources they need, including college, apprenticeship, and preapprenticeship.

Sec. 2   RCW 28C.04.390 and 1999 c 121 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The college board worker retraining program funds shall be used for training programs and related support services, including financial aid, counseling, referral to training resources, job referral, and job development that:
     (a) Are consistent with the unified plan for workforce development;
     (b) Provide increased enrollments for dislocated workers;
     (c) Provide customized training opportunities for dislocated workers; and
     (d) Provide increased enrollments and support services, including financial aid for those students not receiving unemployment insurance benefits, that do not replace or supplant any existing enrollments, programs, support services, or funding sources.
     (2) The college board shall develop a plan for use of the worker retraining program funds in conjunction with the workforce training customer advisory committee established in subsection (3) of this section. In developing the plan the college board shall:
     (a) Provide that applicants for worker retraining program funds shall solicit financial support for training programs and give priority in receipt of funds to those applicants which are most successful in matching public dollars with financial support;
     (b) Provide that applicants for worker retraining program funds shall develop training programs in partnership with local businesses, industry associations, labor, and other partners as appropriate and give priority in receipt of funds to those applicants who develop customized training programs in partnership with local businesses, industry associations, and labor organizations;
     (c) Give priority in receipt of funds to those applicants serving rural areas;
     (d) Ensure that applicants receiving worker retraining program funds gather information from local workforce development councils on employer workforce needs, including the needs of businesses with less than twenty-five employees; ((and))
     (e) Provide for specialized vocational training at a private career school or college at the request of a recipient eligible under subsection (1)(b) of this section. Available tuition for the training is limited to the amount that would otherwise be payable per enrolled quarter to a public institution; and
     (f) Give priority in receipt of funds to those applicants working toward careers in the aerospace, health care, advanced manufacturing, construction, renewable energy industries, high-demand industries identified in the state comprehensive plan and the workforce development councils' local comprehensive plans for workforce educational training as identified in RCW 28C.18.080 and 50.38.050, or occupations and industries identified by community and technical colleges in collaboration with local workforce development councils.
     (3) The executive director of the college board shall appoint a workforce training customer advisory committee by July 1, 1999, to:
     (a) Assist in the development of the plan for the use of the college board worker retraining program funds and recommend guidelines to the college board for the operation of worker retraining programs;
     (b) Recommend selection criteria for worker retraining programs and grant applicants for receipt of worker retraining program grants;
     (c) Provide advice to the college board on other workforce development activities of the community and technical colleges;
     (d) Recommend selection criteria for job skills grants, consistent with criteria established in this chapter and chapter 121, Laws of 1999. Such criteria shall include a prioritization of job skills applicants in rural areas;
     (e) Recommend guidelines to the college board for the operation of the job skills program; and
     (f) Recommend grant applicants for receipt of job skills program grants.
     (4) Members of the workforce training customer advisory committee shall consist of three college system representatives selected by the executive director of the college board, three representatives of business selected from nominations provided by statewide business organizations, and three representatives of labor selected from nominations provided by a statewide labor organization representing a cross-section of workers in the state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     By July 1, 2010, and within existing resources, the college board may create a single web site for the purpose of advertising the availability of opportunity express funding to Washington citizens; explaining that opportunity express helps people who want to pursue college and apprenticeship for certain targeted industries; and explaining that opportunity express includes three tracks: Worker retraining for unemployed adults; opportunity internships for high school students; and opportunity grants for low-income adults. The web site may also direct interested individuals to the appropriate local intake office. The web site may also include a link to the Washington state department of labor and industries apprenticeship program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     The opportunity express account is established as a special fund, separate and apart from all public moneys or funds of this state. Up to one hundred million dollars in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the worker retraining, opportunity internship, and opportunity grant programs described in sections 1 through 3 of this act. Appropriations from this account shall include sufficient amounts for the worker retraining program, the opportunity internship program, and the opportunity grant program, to ensure that unemployed individuals, low-income high school students, and low-income adults all benefit from expenditures from this account. Up to two percent of the funds in the account may be appropriated for outreach, recruiting, and advertising to ensure rapid use of opportunity express by Washington citizens.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.